Assessing the prevalence and economic significance of coccidiosis individually and in combination with concurrent infections in Pakistani commercial poultry farms

Antioxidant properties of D-limonene and its nanoemulsion form enhance its anticoccidial efficiency in experimentally infected broilers with Eimeria tenella: an in vitro and in vivo study

The excessive use of conventional medications to treat coccidiosis has led to concerns regarding drug residues in tissues and the emergence of multidrug resistance. Essential oils with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities may also have anticoccidial effects. The present study investigated the efficacy of D-limonene and its nanoemulsion form against Eimeria tenella in chickens. An in vitro study was conducted to evaluate the sporulation inhibitory effects of D-limonene on Eimeria tenella oocysts. Five D-limonene concentrations (0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5, and 10% v/v) were tested alongside positive (10% formalin) and negative (2.5% potassium dichromate) controls. Each ELISA plate well was inoculated with 1200 unsporulated oocysts and incubated at 30 °C for 24, 48, and 72 h. Subsequently, samples were microscopically examined to assess sporulation inhibition and calculate the percentage of sporulated oocysts. For the in vivo study, 125 eight-day-old broiler chicks were divided into five groups of 25 birds each. The control negative group remained uninfected and untreated. The control positive group was challenged with 5 × 104 sporulated Eimeria tenella oocysts. The diclazuril group received 0.2 mg/kg diclazuril in their diet two days prior to, and until 10 days post infection. The D-limonene (DL) and D-limonene nanoemulsion (DLN) groups were challenged with 5 × 104 sporulated E. tenella oocysts at 18 days of age and administered 150 mg/L of their respective treatments in drinking water from day eight until the end of the experiment. Results from the in vitro study demonstrated that D-limonene suppressed oocyst sporulation by 50.83% at its highest concentration of 10%. In the in vivo study, both DL and DLN treated groups exhibited a significant reduction in oocyst output per gram of feces (OPG), along with increased body weight and decreased parasite stages in the cecal tissue. Furthermore, these treatments were associated with elevated levels of antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), accompanied by a decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) levels. Particularly, DLN treatment remarkably increased the number of goblet cells. In conclusion, D-limonene and its nanoemulsion represent promising alternatives for managing coccidiosis in poultry. They not only effectively control parasites but also promote intestinal health and boost antioxidant defenses.

Administration of Ethanolic Extract of Spinacia oleracea Rich in Omega-3 Improves Oxidative Stress and Goblet Cells in Broiler Chickens Infected with Eimeria tenella

This study investigated the anticoccidial activity of spinach (Spinacia oleracea) whole-plant extract against Eimeria tenella, both in vitro and in vivo. For this purpose, one hundred 8-day-old broiler chicks of both sexes were divided into four groups (n = 25 in each group). Chicks in the first group served as the negative control (non-treated-non-infected). Chicks in the second group were challenged at 18 days old with 5 × 104E. tenella sporulated oocysts. The third group was challenged with 5 × 104 sporulated E. tenella oocysts at 18 days old after receiving spinach extract at a dose of 50 mg/kg at 8 days old. The fourth group received 0.2 mg/kg diclazuril (Coxiril® 0.2%) in their diet two days before being orally infected with 5 × 104 sporulated E. tenella oocysts and this continued till day 10 post-infection (PI). The growth performance, clinical symptoms, oocyst shedding, histological findings, and biochemical parameters were used to evaluate the efficacy on day 8 PI when the infection was at its peak. A gas chromatography examination revealed that omega-3 fatty acids were the main constituents of the spinach extract, followed by oleic acid, palmitic acid, and phytol, with amounts of 23.37%, 17.53%, 11.26%, and 7.97%, respectively. The in vitro investigation revealed that the spinach extract at concentrations of 10% and 5% inhibited the oocyst sporulation by 52.1% and 45.1%, respectively. The 5% concentration was selected for the in vivo trial based on the results of the in vitro study. The infected-untreated group showed high levels of OPG; lower body weight; a greater number of parasite stages; few goblet cells; decreased SOD, CAT, and GPX levels; and increased MDA and NO levels. The spinach-treated group, on the other hand, showed a significant decrease in oocyst output per gram of feces (OPG), increased body weight, decreased parasitic stages, and a nearly normal number of goblet cells. Additionally, it reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO), while increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX). In conclusion, spinach produced significant antioxidant effects, increased body weight, reduced the number of oocysts and parasite stages in the caecum, and restored the number of goblet cells relative to those of an uninfected control. Furthermore, spinach extract inhibits the sporulation percentage of E. tenella oocysts. The ethanolic extract of S. oleracea (whole plant) contained high concentrations of fatty acids, palmitic acid, Phytol, betulin, and ursolic aldehyde, all of which are known to regulate the antioxidant pathway and modulate inflammatory processes and may be the main reason for its anticoccidial activity.

Characterization and bioactivities of M. arvensis, V. officinalis and P. glabrum: In-silico modeling of V. officinalis as a potential drug source

In current study the pharmaceutically active herbs was used against coccidiosis, caused by a protozoan: Eimeria, lead to $ 3 billion loss annually. The aqueous and methanolic extracts of whole plants were applied in-vitro to assess sporulation inhibition (spi) assay and calculated the inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀). For in-vivo study 9 groups of 14 day old broiler chicks were infected with Eimeria tenella and three groups were treated different concentrations of methanolic extracts of Verbena officinalis and Polygonum glabrum post infection. The mean weight gain, oocyst count, diarrhea, biochemical tests, hematology, and histopathology of all groups were analyzed. The herbs were characterized by antioxidant assay, phytochemical screening, Fourier transmission and infrared (FT-IR), Ultra Violet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and Gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The GC-MS identified phyto-compounds of V. officinalis were docked with S-Adenosyl methionine (SAM) synthetase. The in-vitro study revealed that V. officinalis and P. glabrum have minimum IC₅₀ of 0.14 and 12 mg/ml respectively. The in-vivo experiment showed that V. officinalis had significantly high anticoccidial potential with significant hematological profile like drug treated controls. The histology of treated chicks also showed recovery in the studied tissues. The antioxidant assay showed that V. officinalis have 4.19U/mg Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and 33.96 µM/mg Glutathione (GSH) quantities. The chemical characterization confirmed the presence of large number of organic compounds, however Flavonoids found only in V. officinalis, which suggests the anticoccidial potential of V. officinalis because flavonoids as antagonist of thiamine (Prinzo, 1999), because it promotes the carbohydrate synthesis required. Strychane, 1-acetyl-20a-hydroxy-16-methylene has best binding of with target protein with lowest binding score (-6.4 Kcal/mol), suggests its anticoccidial potential in poultry.

Response Surface Optimization of Dispersive Solid-Phase Extraction Combined with HPLC for the Rapid Analysis of Multiple Coccidiostats in Feed

Since antimicrobials were banned as feed additives, coccidiostats with favorable anticoccidial action and growth promotion have been widely used in the breeding industry. The monitoring of coccidiostats in feed is necessary, while the current methods based on mass-spectrometer analysis have limited applicability and matrix effects could interfere with the results. Accordingly, in the present paper, a rapid analytical strategy for the simultaneous determination of six synthetic coccidiostats in feed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode-array detection was developed. Coccidiostats in chicken feeds were extracted with the trichloroacetic acid-acetonitrile solution. The cleanup was performed by dispersive solid-phase extraction after the optimization of the response surface methodology. The method exhibited good linearity for target coccidiostats within the range of 0.05~20 µg/mL. Recoveries for six compounds in fortified feed samples were from 67.2% to 107.2% with relative standard deviations less than 9.6%. The limit of detection was 0.2~0.3 mg/kg. The successful application of the method in commercial feed verified that it is effective and sensitive for the rapid determination of multiple coccidiostats in chicken feeds.

Vaccines against chicken coccidiosis with particular reference to previous decade: progress, challenges, and opportunities

Chicken coccidiosis is an economically significant disease of commercial chicken industry accounting for losses of more than £10.4 billion (according to 2016 prices). Additionally, the costs incurred in prophylaxis and therapeutics against chicken coccidiosis in developing countries (for instance Pakistan according to 2018 prices) reached US $45,000.00 while production losses for various categories of chicken ranges 104.74 to US $2,750,779.00. The infection has been reported from all types of commercial chickens (broiler, layer, breeder) having a range of reported prevalence of 7-90%. The concern of resistance towards major anticoccidials has provided a way forward to vaccine research and development. For prophylaxis of chicken coccidiosis, live virulent, attenuated, ionophore tolerant strains and recombinant vaccines have been extensively trialed and commercialized. Eimeria antigens and novel vaccine adjuvants have elicited the protective efficacy against coccidial challenge. The cost of production and achieving robust immune responses in birds are major challenges for commercial vaccine production. In the future, research should be focused on the development of multivalent anticoccidial vaccines for commercial poultry. Efforts should also be made on the discovery of novel antigens for incorporation into vaccine designs which might be more effective against multiple Eimeria species. This review presents a recap to the overall progress against chicken Eimeria with particular reference to previous decade. The article presents critical analysis of potential areas for future research in chicken Eimeria vaccine development.

Identification of Bacterial Profiles and Their Interactions with Selected Quality, Oxidative, and Immunological Parameters of Turkey Semen

Simple Summary

Overbreeding—and its associated increase in the chest areas of turkeys—has led to the loss of their natural ability to reproduce. Therefore, commercial production of turkey meat relies on artificial insemination. However, along with the physiology of the genital tract of turkeys, there is high potential for bacterial contamination of ejaculates. These bacteria may affect crucial semen quality parameters required for successful fertilization. As such, it is important to pay close attention to the bacteria present in turkey ejaculates and possible solutions to eliminate their adverse effects on avian spermatozoa.

Abstract

This study focused on the identification of naturally occurring bacteria in the reproductive fluid and impact on the quality of ejaculates obtained from the turkey breed British United Turkeys (BUT) Big 6 (n = 60). We determined possible relationships between the bacterial load and advanced sperm quality parameters that are important for effective artificial insemination and high fertility, as well as the concentration of selected antimicrobial proteins and pro-inflammatory markers of turkey semen. Sperm motility was assessed with computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA), while the membrane and acrosome integrity were examined with smearing and staining methods. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was quantified via luminometry, sperm DNA fragmentation was evaluated using the TUNEL assay, and the JC-1 assay was applied to evaluate the mitochondrial membrane potential. Cell lysates were prepared to investigate the extent of lipid and protein oxidation. Furthermore, levels of interleukins 1 and 6 (IL-1, IL-6), C-reactive protein, cathelicidin, and β-defensin were quantified in the seminal plasma using the ELISA method. The most dominant species identified by the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry was Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus lentus, and Citrobacter braakii. The bacterial load had a negative effect on the sperm motility (p < 0.001), as well as membrane (p < 0.05) and acrosome integrity (p < 0.01). A strong positive relationship between the bacterial load and DNA fragmentation (p < 0.001) was detected as well. Positive associations were recorded between the increasing presence of bacteria, ROS overgeneration (p < 0.001), and a subsequent oxidative damage to the proteins (p < 0.001) and lipids (p < 0.01). It was revealed that the antimicrobial peptides β-defensin (p < 0.001) and cathelicidin (p < 0.001) had a positive relationship with the motility. In contrast, pro-inflammatory markers, such as IL-1 (p < 0.001) and IL-6 (p < 0.001), had a negative impact on the motion behavior of turkey spermatozoa. Our results suggest that the semen quality may be notably affected by the bacterial quantity as well as quality. It seems that bacteriospermia is associated with inflammatory processes, oxidative stress, sperm structural deterioration, and a subsequent risk for a failed artificial insemination in turkey breeding.

Assessment of risk factors associated with prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in poultry of central plain zone of Punjab, India

Background and Aim

Parasitic diseases are an important hurdle to the economy for the developing poultry industry due to their deleterious effects resulting into malnutrition, diminished feed conversion ratio, weight loss, decreased egg production, and mortality in young birds. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated risk factors of gastrointestinal (GIT) parasites in poultry farms of central plain zone of Punjab.

Materials and Methods

A total of 490 pooled droppings and 351 intact intestines of poultry from slaughterhouses from seven districts of central plain zone of Punjab state, India, were collected and analyzed from September 2016 to May 2018 by qualitative and quantitative techniques.

Results

An overall prevalence of GIT parasites was 38.36% with significantly (p<0.01) highest (74.1%) in Ludhiana and lowest (12.0%) in Shri Fatehgarh Sahib. The most predominant (86.2%) infection was coccidia. The birds reared under a deep litter system were having a higher (p<0.01) fecal load of helminthic eggs and coccidian oocysts (54.4%) compared to the cage system (37.5%). Infection rate was apparently more (40%) in broilers than layers (35.7%). Prevalence of GIT parasites was higher (p<0.01) in monsoon season (58.5%) and lower in summer season (24.48%). The broilers in the age group of 0-2 weeks possessed a significant higher (p<0.05) level of GIT parasitic infection (57.5%), while in case of layers, a higher infection rate (46.66%) was observed in birds between 9 and 18 weeks of age as compared in other groups. Higher (p<0.05) infection rate of GIT parasites was seen in crossbred (45.55%) birds as compared to desi birds (20.00%).

Conclusion

The study showed that coccidiosis was the predominant infection among all GIT parasites based on fecal and intestinal tract content analysis. The risk factors associated with the prevalence of GIT parasitic infections were geographical location, deep litter system, broilers, age, crossbred breeds, and monsoon season.